Seeding device



Jan. 27, 1959 T. w.' PAUL 2,870,940

SEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1955 INVENTORSu TALBERT W. PAUL TOBNEYS corporated. i

SEEDING DEVICE Talbert W. Paul, Kansas City,'Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Deere & Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 1, 1955, Serial No. 551,055 12 Claims. Cl. 221-233 vide a seeding device. especially constructed to provide precision planting and single seed selection. A feature of this invention is the provision. of a.seed Wheel of particular construction, having two sets of peripherally arranged seed cells, the wheel comprising three interconnected members, the laterally outer members-having a peripheral set of half cells and the center member having two sets of peripherally arranged half cells, the

cells being designed so that all of the members may be formed as castings, without requiring the use of any cores or the like, thus materially reducing the cost of manufacture.

2 a means, including transverse bars14, are apertured to receive attaching bolts 15 by which, as will be explained later, the various seeding devices 16 may be attached to the hopper bottom.

According to the principles of the present, invention,

each of the seeding attachments 16 includes a seed cup or housing 18 that is made up of two parts Hand 22, preferably identical except that one is right-hand and the other left-hand, the parts 21 and 22 including forwardly and rearwardly extending sections 23 and 24 that are apertured to receive interconnecting means 25, such as a i as at 47, and the side members and 45 have flattened sections that fit snugly thereagainst and are apertured A further feature of this invention is the provision of i a seeding device having new and improved cut-01f means, especially adapted for use with dual-celled seed wheels in which provision is made for individually adjusting the position of the cut-off means and, further, common means for adjusting all of said cut-off means simultaneously, utilizing for this purpose movable wedge means associated with each cut-off.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in hich: a l l Fig. 1 is. a perspective view, with certain parts shown in section, illustrating a planting device in the nature of an attachment for grain drill hoppers or the like, in which the principles of thepresent invention have been in- Fig. 2 is asectional view taken line 2-4! of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an end View of the plantin device, being a view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig, 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the seed wheel construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 5--5 of Fig. 2. l

Referring now to thedrawings, the grain drill to which the attachments of the present invention are adapted to be connected in lieu of the usual seed-selecting units, such as, for example, a fluted force-feed device, of the type shown in the patent to Erdman 2,400,745,is indicated by the reference numeral 10 and includes a transversely indicated by the reference numeral 13. Hopper frame generally along the rivet, bolt, or the like, these extensions also being apertured generally vertically, as at 26, to receive the hopperconnecting bolts 15. Each housing 18. includes a pair of side wall sections .28 that are apertured, as at 29,

to receive the hub sections 31 of a seed wheel 32. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each seed wheel 32 comprises three members. The central member 34 is provided with an extended central section 36 that forms the hubs 31 mentioned above and a peripheral section that is formed with two axially spaced apart sets of half-cell recesses 37 and 38, preferably arranged in offset relation as shown in Fig. 3 and each having a flange extending radially outwardly beyond said recesses and formed with a generally cylindrical outer surface, the flange on said central member lying'between the two associated sets of recesses. Radially inwardly of the sets of half-cells. 37 and 38 the central wheel member 34 is provided with a flattened annular portion 41 that is apertured, as at 42, to receive rivets 43 or other fasteners by which two side members 44. and 45. are connected to the central member 34. The opposite faces of the annular portion 41 are flattened,

to receive the fasteners 43, whereby the three members 34, 44, and 45 may rigidly and permanently be fixed together to serve as an integral seed wheel, the laterally inner portion of the peripheral section of each side member being formed with a set of half-cell recesses 51 complementary with respect to the associated cell recesses 37 and 38, respectively.

The peripheral portions of the three seed wheel members 34, 44, and 45 are shaped so that the wall portions of the cell recesses flare outwardly in a diverging manner, whereby the members 34, 44, and 45 may conveniently be formed in a casting operation without the use of any cores or the like. present invention is the formation of the cell sections of the seed wheel members so that there is a radial groove 53 lying between cooperating sets of the half-cell recesses 51, 37, and 38, as will be seen clearly from Fig. 3. Each half-cell section, 37 or 38, and the companion halfcell section 51, taken together, form a generally hemispherical seed pocket, each Wheel 32 thus being provided with two axially spaced apart peripheral sets or series of seed-receiving pockets. Thehub sections 31 of the wheel 32 are journaled in the side wall openings 29 of the asso ciated housing, and the wheel 32 is of such diameter that the upper portion of the wheel extends into the interior of the hopper 11 through the associated bottom opening 13. i

As the upper portions of the seed wheels 32, there being a plurality of seeding units as mentioned above, move through the seed in the hopper 11, a seed enters each seed cell, formed of two cooperating half-cell re:

cesses, and is carried along by the rotation of the wheel,

in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1. in order to prevent more than one seed from being cardeflecting portion 58 and opposite the deflecting nose Contributing to this feature of the i "manned portions 58,- the cut-olf'le'versfil have flattened portions 59 that overlie adjacent par-tsof the hopper-bottom-openings. Each cut-off lever 57 is! pivotally mounted on the housing 18 by means of a pivot pin 61 carried by suitable openings-formed-in :the housing sections 21 and-"22, t and abovethe pivot 61 eachtcut-ofl le-Ver-STha's awed-deflect ing section 62 that lies substantially directly opposite the associated seed ejector, which will be referred to'below in. detaiL: Desirably,the pivot* pin=;6I may be -one of the bolts. or rivets that=hold the-housingsections -21and 22 together. Each cut-off lever= 57 is also provided with a tail sectiont63,Lander-spring member 64, prefe'rably-0f thetorsiontype;hasone end anchored in an'aperture in an adjacenttpor'tio'n of the housing while the otherend is operatively; connected .with Ithe tail portion 63 -'of the as- 3-15 sociatedcuteoflelever whereby the. spring 64 exerts a force tending tomovethenose: or deflecting section 58 towardthe. associated seed-cellsL- Movement of thecutofi lever in thiszdirectionsis limited by. adjusting means in thetorm ofia setscrew 67 "threaded into 'each-of a pair ofv apertured. lugs .68..=-carried.- -by=-the housing and I each' havingnan inner ,end'bearing-against the wedge portion 69 ;of-;.an associated/second.adjusting-member 71. A lock znut.-.72"ser.ves as meansholding each set screw 67in any particular'position-:of=adjustment. Since each seed wheel. 32 is;in the nature of a .dualseedwheel, having two setsof seed .cellsythere aretwocut-offlevers:57 associated with-leach zseedtawheel; andsalso-there is one adjusting I screws67. .and'associated. parts for. each cut-off lever 57'." Each, wedge member 71' 'iszpivotally connected with an 3O associatedrockshaftflli by means of an apertured arm 74' that. is -fixed. to;.the rockshaft 73 andspivotally' connected 1 with'each :pair. ofgwedge. members 71 by. a crosspin. 75; Theewed'ge. members ;71*are-arranged in pairs for opcrative .associatio-newith I-eachwpair of lent-off levers 57. To" supportt =;tl1e arocksha-ft: :73:.,'. which extends lengthwise;- of the fhopperizllh eaclrrseed wheels-housing 18 .carries ant: outwardly; extendingylugzz77- that? is apertured: torocka'bly. receiyeand asupportzthe. shaft: 73. At oneend of the; grain drill; the associated end of the r rocksha'ft carries any. suitable means for; turning! the shafti73 to raiseorlower the wedgermembers 7lgrelative. to, the. associated cut-off levers. 57 and the.associatedradjusting.members 67 Aswill be. seen from Fig; 2,: when the-shaft 73 .is. rocked ina direction to raise the cam members or wedge members= 71,;thei nosewportionsflh .oftallofthe cut-01f levers 57 are raised or, moved away fronritheperipheral portion of the, seed wheels r32,,;th.er e.by' arranging .the .seedingattachmentsto, accommodate: slightly; larger. seed; .If it isdesired, for, example;toplantrsmaller seed, then. the shaft. 73 may be .rocked-inzthe; OfillledllIQCllOl'l to. move the. several. wedge member-s71 illia. withdrawing :direction, .thus permitting the.springs-..64. toyforce the. upper-ends of the cut-ofijilevers toward. the; :associated :seed wheels; Operating-,- any.:one ofathezadjustingt membersrfiT Serves/t0 individually adjust the associated cut-,ottileverrelative to. the. other levers; In thisj. wayeeach cut-elf lever; may-be.- individually 3adjusted, -so1tha.trall .may be. brought;to substantiallyexactly; the same relationshipigrelativeto the. as-. sociated seed wheels,,-yet all iOfif' the cut-off zlevers, may. simultaneously beadjusted-by operation of therockshaft-73; AS -Wlll best be SBCIIyfI'OlTLFlg'. 2,';each ,ofnthe'seed wheel-housings :18 ais formed withja--.seed tube sectiona; 80,, preferably formedby;-.two half:=S6CtiOl'1S1 81' and; 82 carried by the sections 21 and 22, respectively, of the seed Wheel housing. Registeringend walliportionsw84 and ;85 act with the :side wall sections'to' form a seed tubeor passage 86 to receive seedas. they are dischargedtrom the seed Wheel. In order-to insure rtheproper discharge; of the, seedsifromthe seedwcells, :I provide: a -pai-r; of;ejecting plates 881and 89 thatextendggenerallyvertical from; the lower portion of the seed tube section t8tl,g-the upperportion of each of the -ejecting plates 88.,and- 89 being: rounded, as ,-indicated at )9 I gand; lie in the. --groov es; 53, i, the upper or ejectingportions; o1": the, plates:88:.;and:8 l:

the pin or bolt 2. plates 88 and 89 lie immediately below the cut-off levers vers- 57;' The lower endsofthe verticalcut offplates'88- and 89 are apertured to receive one of the pins or bolts 92 that hold the housing sections together. One edge of each of the plates 88 and 89 is arranged to engage the associated wall portion 84 of the seed tube section so as to prevent rotation of thetejectorrplates 88 and 89 about It is to be noted that the ejecting 57,- and as theresult of this construction; the seedsare:

ejected from the seed .cellpracticallyimmediately after they pass under the cut-off levers 57, the seedmotbeing dragged around in slidingcontact with any part. of the enclosing housing, and thus are'not'da'maged by abrasion or the like, as in otherseed.selecting.,devices with which I am familiar. By virtue of the angular disposition of the cut-oil? lever portion 62, any seed that is ejected by the upper portion of the associated ejecting plate, 88 or 89, willbedeflected generally downwardly by the cut-01f lever portion -62.

Disposed in the generally vertical plane betweenthe planes of-thetwo' sets of 'seed"cells, so as to act as a barrier or divider to prevent-any accidental contactof the seed-from one cell with the-*seed from an adjacent cell, is a 'stationarvdivider plate'ltll' -that is locatecl'in a vertical" plane lying betweenthe 'two 'cut-otflevers 57 The dividerplate 101 includes a "lower'section'" 102' that extends into the seed passage 86 well'below-the point where the seeds are ejected from the seed cells by the ejecting plates 88'*-and 89. The'-divider means 101 thusserves to keep the seed from one cell from'bouncing or being propelled-against or-collidingwith the seed from'an" adjacent cells This reduces rebounding and preventsany delay of the passage of thesee'd through 51 the seed 'pas sageway v 861 Theseed-wheel construction-whim present invention adequately provides; for a duahplanting 'fnnctidn; if'..de-'-- sire'dx. For'-example,-' the seed-'wheel'of the'pres'entinvention mayibe mounted in -a dual hopp'er,"with th'e partition between the hopper section'disposed irr th'eplane of the central portion of the wheel, whereby one set of'seed cells receives seed from one-hopper and-the otherseed cells recei-ve seed from'the other' hopper. Inthis ease,

suitable diverging seed discharge tubes may tbe provide'd,

fer ent meansmay'be employedwin the practice of-the bet-' ter aspects of my invention.

What- I claim, therefore; and. desireto sccure'sby LetterssPatentisr 1...Arseed wheel forqplanters 'andtheg like,s.comprising a central wheel member andttwousidermembersyveach in: the form of a casting and each having a generally-radiah ly outwardly extending flange, the peripheralrportionxof the central member having two sets of half-'cellzrecesses' disposed alternately. on'opposite. sidesof;-:the:.asso.ciate.d

flange, the recesses .of each setfacing laterally-outwardly andalso generallyradially. outwardly:alongside the associated flange, each of said side membershavinga set of=;half-cell recesses "at one: side OfIhC associated flange and lying below the latter, said .lattersrecesses facinggcnorally'radially5outwardly and also facing, generally ,latcrally inwardly in registering alignment 'with therecessesof the adjacent setrofhalf-cell.- recesses on.;the central mem her, 1 each ofsaid half-cell recesses-having; walls: all; Jot.

which flare laterally in a -divergingmanner, thereby facilitating. the formation of said wheel; members by casting:

without; cores:,,or. ,the-.;lik; e,- and-:means. fixingr said. membersrtogetherq;

assume 2. A seed wheel as defined in claim 1, further characterized by each of said members having axially outwardly facing flattened surfaces constructed and arranged so as to lie in planes spaced from the adjacent portions of said recesses, whereby when the seed wheel members are fastened together a radially inwardly extending annular groove lies between adjacent sets of half-cell recesses, and a fixed ejecting plate lying in each of said grooves and each plate having an end portion disposed closely ad acent the bottom of the associated groove.

3. In a planting implement, seed-selecting means comprising a housing, a generally vertical seed wheel having seed cells and carried in said housing for rotation therein about a generally transverse axis, the vertical plane of rotation of said wheel extending in a fore-and-aft direction, said-ejectingmeans disposed at the rearside of said seed wheel, the seed-ejecting means being arranged so that the seeds are ejected from the wheel at a point where a tangent to the wheel at said point extends substantial- 1y directly downwardly, and a generally vertical seed tube carried by said housing at the rear side of said wheel and receiving seed from said ejecting means.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, further characterized by seed cut-01f means carried by said housing generally above said seed tube and generally above and rearwardly of said seed-ejecting means.

5. The invention defined in claim 3, further characterized by said ejecting means comprising a generally vertical plate extending from the lower portion of said seed tube upwardly into said seed cells, and means on the forward portion of the lower part of said seed tube to support said seed-ejecting plate. a

6. The invention defined in claim 5, further characterized by said housing comprising two mating complementary sections, the latter having mating portions forming said seed tube, the latter portions being apertured, and said ejecting plate supporting means including means extending through said apertures for holding said complementary sections together.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6, further characterized by said seed-ejecting plate engaging at its rear edge a portion of said seed tube and thereby cooperating with said holding means to maintain said ejecting plate in position relative to said seed wheel.

8, In a planter, a housing, a celled seed wheel rotatably mounted in said housing, a cut-off lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having a seed-engaging portion movable toward and away from said seed wheel, and

6 wedge means carried by said housing and engaging said lever to adjust the position of said seed-engaging portion relative to the cells of said seed wheel.

9. In a planter, a housing, a celled seed wheel rotatably mounted in said housing, a cut-off lever pivotally mounted at a mid-point on said housing and having a seed-engaging portion at one end movable toward and away from said seed wheel, and wedge means carried by said housing and engaging the other endof said lever to adjust the position of said seed-engaging portion relative to the cells of said seed wheel.

10. In a planter, a hopper having a bottom, a celled seed wheel rotatably mounted at the bottom of said hopper with an upper portion of the wheel extending into the bottom portion of the hopper, cut-01f means carried by the hopper so as to engage the peripheral portion of the wheel substantially at the point where the peripheral portion of the wheel, during normal rotation thereof, leaves the hopper bottom, and seed ejecting means carried by the hopper in a position substantially directly below said cut-ofi means so as to eject seed from said cells substantially at a point on the seed wheel Where a vertical line is tangent to the wheel.

11. The invention set forth in claim 10, further characterized by a portion of said cut-01f means adjacent said ejecting means lying at an angle to the horizontal such that any seed leaving the seed Wheel before reaching said tangential point will engage said cut-off portion and be deflected thereby generally downwardly.

12. In a planter, a hopper having a bottom, a celled seed wheel rotatably mounted at the bottom of said hopper with an upper portion of the wheel extending into the bottom portion of the hopper, cut-off means carried by the hopper so as to engage the peripheral portion of the wheel, and seed ejecting means disposed immediately below the cut-off means for ejecting the selected seed from said wheel, said cut-off means including a generally fiat portion opposite said ejecting means and angled in a direction downwardly and away from said wheel so as to deflect any seeds striking said flat portion generally downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,997,791 Hoberg et al Apr. 16, 1935 2,440,846 Cannon May 4, 1948 2,605,023 Ward July 29, 1952 2,646,191 Wechsler July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION I Patent No, 2,870,940 January 27, 1959 Talbert W. Paul It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 16,. for "said-ejecting" read seed-ejecting Signed and sealed this 19th day of May 1959.

SEAL) Attest:

KARL HQ MINE ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Ofiicer Commissioner of Patents 

